How to make an Easy Portuguese Kale Soup

Kale soup, or Caldo Verde, comes from northern Portugal. It’s a perfect fall soup, filled with healthy vegetables and sausage. There are many variations, with and without potatoes, Linguiça (a Portuguese sausage), and different kinds of kale. I have a feeling that once a family recipe is developed it becomes tradition for that family.

Autumn is my favorite time of year – cold nights, cool mornings, and bright sunshine on the colored leaves. It’s also time to put the garden to bed for winter, so the kale, carrots, cabbage and red peppers are all ripe for teh picking and storing now as well. All good things that go into this pot.

It’s an easy soup – chop things up, cook and brown in a bit of oil, add chicken stock and let simmer. The colors of the vegetables make it eye appealing as well.

simmering the vegetables

I used mild Italian sausage, but hot spicy sausage, chorizo or Linguiça might be more traditional. Or try turkey or chicken sausage. And chop up whatever kale you have – curly works, but today I sliced black/ Lacinato kale. Purple/Red Russian kale would add lots of color! If you like lots of kale, add more in! I had a small head of white cabbage, so I shredded part of it and added it in – not traditional for Portuguese Kale soup, I agree, but it added more fiber and made the soup even heartier.

Serve it with good crusty bread, and that’s a perfect fall meal. This recipe makes enough for at least 6 people, or use smaller cups for an appetizer and have the rest for lunch tomorrow!

Portuguese Kale soup

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Kale & Sausage Soup

a hearty soup perfect for fall with lots of good for you vegetables

Course Soup
Keyword hearty soup, kale and chickpea soup, kale soup, Portuguese Kale Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sausage Italian, turkey, Linguiça, chorizo
  • 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion or leek, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5-6 kale leaves, ribs removed and chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
  • 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced quarter large carrots and use only 1
  • 1 medium sweet red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 14.5 oz cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • water, as needed

Instructions

  1. If the sausage has a casing, remove it and cut or pinch apart into small pieces

  2. Prep all the vegetables

  3. Over medium heat, put the oil in the pan and once hot, add the sausage

  4. Once the sausage starts to brown, add in the onion, garlic cinnamon, allspice and salt. Stir around well to incorporate. Let simmer 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  5. Add in the kale, carrots, bell pepper and cook 2 or 3 minutes.

  6. Add the chick stock and enough water to cover all the vegetables by at least 1". simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes over low heat.

  7. Add the chick peas and simmer 10 minutes longer. If teh soup is too thick for your tastes, add more water.

    Top with grated Parmesan for serving.

Recipe Notes

Red bell pepper adds color and nutrition, but part green, yellow or orange bell pepper can be substituted as well.  Choose a sausage your family likes and make the soup as spice, or not, as you prefer.  If you like potato, add some diced potato with the other vegetables.